Water Tight 2.0

The top trends in the global water sector

The central theme of this edition is innovation; exploring new ways to tackle supply-side, demand-side, regulatory or business-related challenges. All of the themes discussed in this report are closely connected (for example, it is impossible to talk about operational efficiency without considering the opportunities that data analytics offer in this area) and have been developed in consultation with senior practitioners from Deloitte member firms around the world.

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Executive summary

Water scarcity, changing demographics and operational efficiency are top issues for the global water sector, which are amplified by the unpredictable impact of climate change. Demand for water continues to rise, declining water quality has grown to be a global concern, water loss through leakage continues to prove a major issue both in the developed and developing world, and the long-term impact of climate change is unpredictable which makes planning difficult.

Ultimately, the world needs flexible and resilient water systems that anticipate and monitor changes in circumstances. Sustainable management techniques need to be implemented to protect water cycles and reduce the impact of human activity on them. These need to go hand-in-hand with optimizing water and wastewater provision and consumption, and will require closer collaboration between utilities, users and regulators to incentivize water conservation, reuse and recycling.

Trends this year include:

Previous report

The growing demand for water is making conservation and efficient use central issues, particularly as governments, utilities and the private sector come under increasing pressure to be stewards of this precious and shared resource. This report examines how major global trends such as population growth, increasing economic development and urbanization, coupled with the changes in climate patterns, underscore the importance of effective public policy and private sector water stewardship in managing this finite and shared resource.

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